From the Gods, are we going to the Dogs?.. This is an attempt to Save the "Gods Own Country". In the title, dog is used to describe the issues that plague our state, and does not imply any negative meaning to the beautiful state or its civil population. This blog contains only personal expressions and views, all for personal use, and readers should agree to the "Terms of Use and Disclaimer" at the bottom of this page before reading. If you do not agree,close this window immediately.

THE 'SAVE KERALA' INITIATIVE

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Calling progressive minded and development oriented people- to transform Kerala into a developed and free state,- to help it break free from the shackles of hypocrisy,- to eradicate militant unions, strikes and petty politics, - to make a new Kerala that is proactive and alive,- to make it the God's Own Country that it is supposed to be.You can start by joining us here and contributing your thoughts.To become a member, leave a comment with your email or at wewillsavekerala@gmail.com

Not Everyone's Invited

P.s. You can choose to have your name simply listed in the supporter's list on this blog, or have it linked to your blog.

70 comments:

There is not much to be anxious about kerala.Kerala is now going through a transition phase .Its turning into a mumbai like place where the rich get richer and poor get poorer.Along with this richness comes gundas,black money,crime etc.As far as the polititcs is concerned,kerala needs more people like Achuthanandan and no more wastes like oomen chandy or muralidharan.There is an urgent need for the young to organise itself and protest against the devils in this society.If an ultimate solution to the devils in society is required then the only solution is an armed protest against guilty politicians,sexual molesters and selfish govt officials.an armed protest which would prevent others from doing such crimes

@ anonymous - i didnt know in mumbai such things happened. as far as i know, the poor go to mumbai, get work and become not so poor. goondas, black money and all exist everywhere, even in kannur which is the secure virgin land of the commies.

If an ultimate solution to the devils in society is required then the only solution is an armed protest against guilty politicians,sexual molesters and selfish govt officials

sadly that covers half the population of kerala and surely it would prevent "others" from doing such crimes.

instead of arming and protesting like they have been doing in kerala for years now, youngsters should study and educate themselves, find a job, work hard, earn for themselves and then think of changing the system from within it.

@shine_knr: Contrary to what you think, Kerala is in dire need of help. (This post by Mindcurry can explain in detail. Paradox. )

Help that can only be brought about by her citizens electing positive thinking, growth oriented leaders. If you were to look at an earlier post written by mindcurry, Positive Thoughts, , it highlights some of the successful initiatives that the current government has undertaken under the leadership of Mr. Oommen Chandy with help from the community. To rescue Kerala from the perilous bankrupt state that it was once in, we need more investment into projects such as the ones mentioned in the post. We need uncorrupt leaders who practice what they preach. We need forward thinkers ready to take the multitude of challenges head on; for instance, bringing in more industries and rescuing the sick ones, which will then provide jobs to millions of educated Malayali youths who are otherwise forced to leave their homes in search of better prospects.

Unfortunately our opposition leaders only serve to bring down any economic liberalization efforts claiming it goes against their ideologies. All they can do is gang up against OC and exhort their party hooligans to participate in statewide hartals for every minute reason.

The young generation should organize itself and protest against the devils in this society but definitely not by thwarting growth policies that are currently underway and blaming the people who are trying to save it. And nor should it be by organizing hartals, bandhs and other show of hooliganism.

Definitely, we need a real revolution, revolution in the minds of Malayalis to eradicate the current hypocrisy which unfortunately tied-up to whole walks of our life.

Within Kerala we have lost our identity, now we are Muslim, Christian or Hindu and if Hindu, Nair or Ezhava or Nambudhiri...etc.

We need a change, a change from the current situation, we need faithful politicians, a clean society and environment where we get good education, services and freedom of choice and speech and freedom to practice the chosen religion and believes.

@ worried malayali - really like your nickname. infact we are all a worried lot..but strangely there are plenty of people in kerala not wanting anything to change and holding onto the strikes, protests and anti-development policies.

I would like to extend my whole hearted support and cooperation to any movement that will save kerala. Let me know how I can help.

But unfortunately many people in kerala does not understand the soup they are in. They are given the false impression that they are in heaven. With the politicians saving them from the CIA agents and ADB loan debts !

and to top it all the politicians have coined the the title "keralathile prabudharaya janangal".So that the people believe that they are right always.

how can a state be socialist/ communist when more than 5 million malayalees work for their arab masters in dubai and bahrain. i am glad that the rest of the india is doing way better that "gods own country".........what a shame. Even west bengal is doing good. For Kerala to improve all these malayalee culis from the persian gulf has to come back.

Do I have to sing 'Osana' for Oommen and his goons for joining your 'Save the Kerala' forum?By the way,what is this 'Positive Thinking' which one blogger has mentioned?Oops I think I have lost the meaning of that after suffering 5 years of 'intese development'Please change the title to 'Save UDF 'instead of 'Save Kerala'..

mind curry, do you actually know anything about kerala? What is this? "more progressive, more alive"? Do you understand that Kerala is one of the most progressive states possibly ever? While it still needs help in lots of ways, it has some pretty cool accomplishments under its belt already. It is one of the poorest states in India, and yet is also one of the healthiest and most educated. It's dedication to women's education is unparalleled, and it started way before anyone else. And it's religious tolerance is actually pretty high as well.

Common People just dont think wht exactly is their role in developing Kerala...Rather than favouring any particular political party, people could elect efficient and trust worthy personnels who can contribute to the growth of our state...

The resources we have cannot be compared to any other states in India..But our attitide matters...Educated people move out of Kerala in search of Job..Labour Problems prevent investors from pumping money...I think the youth and tounger generation can act upon the development of kerala....

I would like to be a member of this wonderful Blog. I would like to see a modern Kerala that is saved from the problems that it faces now.I had read once that in most social parameters, Kerala was far ahead compared to the rest of India. But it is extremely backward when it comes to its financials.This has created a lot of issues that have to be addressed and solved.I am looking forward to discuss a great deal regarding these issues.

I have dedication...but lack direction. in other words...I know things are going wrong in our beautifull state(I love it) and something has to be done about it...but dont know what to do.Do add me onto this:mailkrips@yahoo.com

I have lived most of my life outside Kerala but have been taking an interest in the region since the past few years,a bit of the Return of the Prodigal type.I would surely support such a cause but I have been writing on all kinds of issues rather than Kerala specific ones.Well,I leave you'll to judge if that's ok.Maybe my blog will throw light on that.

Have always been proud of the fact that we belong to the most educated state in India but also realise that we are merely resting on our 'past laurels' and not working towards a good future.No reason a Kerala loving person like me would not come back to the state if the job situation were different.In fact, there are so many of us outside the state waiting to come back one day but then it seems like a distant dream, further romanticised by media stories and Malayalam movies.

This is an interesting initiative, we extend whole support to this. We have formed an Orkut community named as "Be an active citizen" with similar mission. http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=24286609&refresh=1We are trying to contact people directly and form groups of like-minded people at different places and to start discussion at grass root level. Let us work together towards a Save Kerala movement.

Such initiatives are laudable. But often, they get hijacked by some people with vested interests..I mentioned as much to Sri.KPS Anjarakandy at orkut who concurred with my veiw... He tried to get some People together on New year's Eve but unfortunately many couldn't be there.. Can we follow up his initiative?...

Just stumbled upon the save Kerala initiative and the associated blog supported by you and some others..I was just curious to know..Are you guys actually "saving Kerala" by just showering your rues n disappointments in forms of a blog...As a youth and a Non-resident Keralite,I'm also dissappointed about the state of affairs in the state..I and you and for that matter anybody can blog for hours together about these delicate issues of Kerala..But can we get into the system and do something constructive to improve things there ?Just think about it.. How many of you guys have actually exercised your votes in the past Kerala elections..I'm sure none of you would have...I would give thumbsup to the IITians who sacrificed their lucrative jobs and formed a political party rather than a raving and ranting set of bloggers...Sorry if i was a bit harsh...But that was just my thoughts..

Its good to see the young really understanding the problems on today's Kerala...Perhaps the meaning of Literacy should be redifined, because Education or Literacy is not just being able to write your name or read the Newspaper, unfortunately in Kerala when we meant Educated and Literate, we are meaning just that... But true Education is bred at Home, it is understanding the World, understanding different cultures and respecting them for what they are and behaving in a respectable manner.To be all the above, one surprisingly does not need to know to read and write. Therefore lets keep aside the pride of calling our state 100% literate as we are far far away from being a civilised state.Read the interesting experience of a Woman who learnt about Kerala at http://www.neoncarrot.co.uk/h_recommended/recommend_kerala.html

My name is Gautam, and I live in Mumbai. Im not Malayalee, but I am Indian, and I am interested.

I am an ecological designer interested in building sustainable ecology/economy and community initiatives, and it would be great to see what you guys have in your plans, coz if you dont, yyou are so screwed. Not that I am not, since Im up against the biggest most powerful dudes who would rather not share any of the profits they gain from the common man's pocket.

So, when are you guys meeting next? Let me know and maybe Ill try and come down to Kerala and help you organise some ideas and directions.

Coz talk is cheap. Act, and everything will fall into place.

Oh and anyone know anything about this Naveen. C. Characteer in Trissur who worked on a magnetic motor scooter? Id like to get in touch with him, but cant find any info apart from that.

G.

You may contact me at gautam.muralidharan@gmail.com for any further correspondence, or for any useless burn mail and disagreements you may have with annything I said.

you say that your wish is to save kerala and just read a blog by someone named rockus who said that M.F.Husain was going to be awarded with raja ravi verma award. you might feel it a matter of no feelings . but to me he has insulted a religiion. why else would he (read M.F.husain)keep quite during the cartoon of prophet mohammed and keep on drawing images of hindu goddessess in naked..... why don't you try explaining this ?

you say that your wish is to save kerala and just read a blog by someone named rockus who said that M.F.Husain was going to be awarded with raja ravi verma award. you might feel it a matter of no feelings . but to me he has insulted a religiion. why else would he (read M.F.husain)keep quite during the cartoon of prophet mohammed and keep on drawing images of hindu goddessess in naked..... why don't you try explaining this ?

4th November 2007Just saw this news in Manorama Online: "Dress code change 'annoys' God"Apparently in Guruvayoor temple (infamous for not allowing people of other religions to enter the temple) an astrologer has discovered that the Gods are not pleased with the recent development of allowing women to enter the temple in salwar-kameez. Now, before you get the wrong idea that this discovery was made after a scientific research or after having an actual conversation with a displeased deity, let me clarify that this astrologer came to the conclusion after the following incident: During a particular ritual the astrologer (Padmanabha Sharma) had asked for a piece of cloth to be brought in. He received a cloth that was cut into two pieces when what he required was an uncut piece of cloth. This he took as a sign that the Gods preferred women in saris visiting them over women in salwar-kameez. Forgive me for being stupid, but somehow i dont get the connection. To me the above incident seems like a mistake on the part of the astrologer in not conveying exactly how many pieces of cloth he wanted. I definitely appreciate the talent of the astrologer in terms of his creativity and imagination to come up with a connection like that. Talk about being superstitious, i think the above incident proves that some people in India have gone beyond superstitions to the world of STUPIDITY. Really, the Gods have plenty of stuff to be displeased about with the way humanity is suffering. I am sure women in salwar-kameez would be the last of their worries. Just ordered a plain McChicken from McDonalds and received a Spicy McChicken, wonder what that means!!!

Great initiative folks. I am a malayalee who has been in kerala till my graduation and even had contested election as chairman in one of the notorioulsy famous govt college in kerala:)). Thankfully sense prevailed to me and i left kerala for my MBA and from there i have only seen growth. Today i am an NRI and lead an american company abroad, but if someone asks me if i will ever invest in Kerala , the answer is a big NO. I love my country and i may even retire there but i see no sense in doing anything for the development of this state. If only the following things can ever improve then there are thousands of people who are ready to contribute everything to this lovely land of ours.

1) If communists ever stop misleading the people that there is any truth or signiificance to communism

2)If the people of kerala work hard in kerala as much as they work hard abroad

3)If keralites realise that we keralites living in kerala have a a false sense of security. We are virtually frogs in a well who doesnt know what happens in the outside world.Let us look at how the world is prevailing outside and then go in the right direction

3)If we make our economic and education policies based on a development agenda rather than keeping in mind the agenda of pleasing religious parties and creating communial divisions. This is the reason why students from kerala do the worst in any competitive exams like civil services, IIT entrance or CAT.

Trust me Keralities are a smart tribe. we have the ability to be one of the best in what we do, but as long as we embrace communism and policy of allocating things based on religion we will never be what we can really be.

Let me know how many of you can act for saving kerala.We need a mass movement without the help of any political partiesagainst these bandhs.As a first step can anyone publish the loses incurred by the kerala and the peoples opinion about the bandh in any leading newspapers?

Ideas represented here are great, nothing short of it. Reforms are,without doubth, the only solution. But you also need to know why free market capitalism, even though is the most fair and tested method, would not be embraced by evryone, as indivituals or as a community.

Economics is a social science. It deals with people, basically. When the majority of the 'indivituals' in a society/economy are stressed out,no amount of literacy will make them understand the need for reforms, since a stressed out person cannot take the level of competition that reforms bring with it.The most simple answer sometimes makes the most sense. So according to me stress and stress alone determines what people chooses-capitalism or communism, peace or war etc.

Can you define what YOU mean by progress/development. Achu maman might define it one way, Maudani might define it another way. Apart from the usual childish approach of treating diseases by the symptoms, I don't see this as any real developmental effort. Can't you think some more deeply and come up with an approach to treat diseases by the cause. I wish you understood what are the root causes!!!!

Could I have an invite please? And u might as well take a look at my latest blogpost,since I tried a solo dharna at the GCDA Complex,Marine Drive yeaterday against Sony Ericsson. Got picked up by the police, may I add?

We must change our attitude towards work,life and definitely our social resposability.Our media,young generations are going behind clebrity,fashion and most stupid rreality show.We should think about tommorrow,afterdozens of Hartaals what we have to say.We clebrate each harthal like Christmas and Onam with Charrayam.At the end of day ,we dream a gulf country or Europe.It cause various social turmoils in our society.We have to react to our social evils like election ,Hartal and list is endless.

We appreciate you bringing about awareness in the state of affairs in Kerala. We are interested in getting in touch with you and seeing how we collectively find solutions to the problems in Kerala Society.

As a young person trying to build a life and show people that it is possible to be successful in Kerala I must say the journey to stay in the state and resist the temptation of easy money and life abroad, I understand the frustration of people who started this blog.

Kerala is a fantastic plan - provided you make your crores outside and come back to settle with your crores here - then you will enjoy it - since the money will iron out all your problems.

Certian people have a habit of crowing about Kerala's achievements - to them I say - do you know what excellence is? Look at our college lecturers for example - how many of them publish papers by UGC norms - but all of them earn and want UGC salaries. Name one institution of excellence in Kerala that competes with the best at a national level. PHDs in Kerala are a laugh. A great % of the social development is due to the income from the Gulf and not because of the hardly working Malayali in his own state - yes the change is there but it is too slow - this is a state for the newly born and the nearly dead.

Ah - you say look at Kerala's social indices which compare to Western countries - then I say - why do you compare development and civic indices with other states in India - compare that with Europe as well? Some of the most hypocritical elements in the world is what Kerala is all about. To change you first need to know what your problem is. And yes this blog tears away the facade and reveals the grim truth - I support this initiative. I am a Malayali and hence I have just as much right to blast off on Kerala as the so called lovers of this state.

Change everything! Lifestyle of India should be changed.Ordinary People are working hard to live & Politicians are robbing from them via bribe, scandal, sex etc. This should be stopped immediately. Install LOKPAL to trial culprits & seize their all wealth/Assest which they accumulated during the period. Change all the political system & make new one with the only motto of Development without any corruption to make INdia a Developed Country.

Moderator, Anyone posting a comment for what it may be worth possibly remains unnoticed by an incoming reader. You should think of having means to group and rate posts. Grouping may be done by the one who makes the post with available options and a choice for 'other' which they will add and you can see whether a new group entry is be added, from the description of the 'other' entry. The rating of the posts can be done by those subscribed to it. This way you have an handle on the posts and for the user as well. From there we could go forward as addressing the concerns with a responsible figure with the Govt.

to let Kerala have 30m-wide highways while the rest of the country goes for 60m-wide road infrastructure

That is a demand that flies bang in the face of logic considering that Kerala has a vehicle to population ratio of 1:6 (one vehicle for every six persons) as against 1:25 in the country. For a different perspective, Kerala has a vehicle density of 175 per sq km, far higher than the national average of 30 per sq km.

gets more curious considering that there are 11 deaths each day through road accidents, or the equivalent of the Air India Express tragedy in Mangalore happening on the roads once every fortnight.

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What can we do about hartals? (Top suggestions from Save Kerala readers)

Bring a rule that workers missing work on hartal should compensate by working on a weekend or holiday